Hood latch



A. CLAUD-MANTLE 2,795,450

HOOD LATCH J1me 11, 1957 Original Filed Kay 25, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR W Mm @uJm 19m ATTORNEYI) June 11, 1957 c u 2,795,450

HOOD LATCH Original Filed Ray 25, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 V II V 7 INVENTOR QHL AHJL- m m ATTORNEYfi n 1957 A. CLAUD-MANTLE HOOD LATCH Original Filed 25, 1953 3 Shets-Sheet s @filiifii tates Patent i 2,795,450 HOOD LATCH Arthur Claud-Mantle, Trumbull, Conn., assignor to The Bassiclr Company, Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Continuation of abandoned application Serial No. 357,320, May 25, 1953. This application December 19., 1956, Serial No. 629,771

3 Claims. (til. 292-304) This application is a continuation of my application Serial No. 357,320, filed May 25, 1953, now abandoned.

This invention relates to hood latches for automobiles and more particularly to alligator type hood latches where the forward end portion of the lid carries a keeper in the form of a depending post or plunger cooperating with a movable latch member associated with the lower or fixed part of the hood. In latches of this kind, there is a lifting spring that lifts the lid to a limited extent when the primary latching means is released, the amplitude of lift being controlled bya safety catch. The primary latching mechanism is usually released from the interior of the car, and when this occurs the lifting spring lifts the lid to a point where the safety catch is engaged, after which the safety catch is manually manipulated to efiect full release.

A typical hood latch of this general class which has been extensively used in the past has included a keeper in the form of a depending post having at the lower end a round cone-shaped member or head pointed at the lower extremity which passes through an aperture in a plate member carried by the lower part of the hood, the primary latch, usually consisting of a lever, being located adjacent the under surface of the plate and, in the latched position, overlying a latching surface or shoulder provided by the upper boundary of the cone-shaped head. The cone-shaped head has had a narrow pointed lower end to enter the plate aperture and move back the spring projected latch lever as the lid was lowered and closed, the cone-shaped head acting to an extent to center the keeper plunger with respect to the latching parts carried by the lower part of the hood.

It has been found that in automobiles of the kind now in common use, a latch mechanism of the kind above mentioned has certain drawbacks. One of these is that the guiding and centering function of the keeper-plunger, as the pivoted lid is moved from the open position to the closed position, is insufiicient and unsatisfactory in that insufficient protection is given to the edge portions of the lid and lower enclosure which are brought into juxtaposition when the lid is fully closed. This is particularly true in respect to the edge portions of the lid and of the lower enclosure at the front end of the car. With the ordinary or customary latch mechanism, the edge of the lid adjacent the front end is likely to collide with the lower enclosure in a manner to cause bending of the metal or damage to the paint or finish, this being particularly true in cars of a type now in use where the lid is relatively low in relation to the tenders.

One of the objects of the present invention is to over! come these defects and provide a latch structure in which the lid is more effectively centered and guided than heretofore as it is moved from the open position to the closed position.

Another object is to provide an improved hood latch of the alligator type embodying a fixed keeper member depending from the lid and cooperating with an apertured lower plate and with a latching lever or like member as? sociated with a keeper aperture in the lower plate.

Another object is to furnish a hood latch of the type in question wherein the keeper plunger is of novel form and cooperates in a novel manner with a keeper-receiving means provided on the lower plate, the structure. being Patented June 11, 1957 2 such that on closing of the hood lid, the latter is guided to the closed position with minimum shock and without; damage to the car finish.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of an automobile hood latch constructed in accordance with the invention, the lid being in the latched position;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section showing positions which the parts ofthe latch assume when the, lowering of the lid has commenced;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a later stage in the operation of closing the lid;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on line 5 5 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 6 is a somewhat diagrammatic view partly in section of the forward part of the hood.

In the embodiment selected for illustration, the keeper is fixed to a mounting plate extending transversely of the lid, and a lower plate extends transversely of the lower part of the hood in fixed relation thereto and is provided with an aperture or throat into which the keeper enters when the lid is lowered. The lower plate has pivoted thereto, adjacent the under surface thereof, a swinging latch lever adapted to engage a shouldered part on the keeper to hold the lid in the closed position. The latch lever is acted upon by a spring urging the lever toward the keeper-engaging or latched position, and the swinging lever can be moved to the releasing position bypull on a cable attached to a manipulating member located with, in the car. In this embodiment also the latch has a helical lifting spring disposed about the keeper, which lifting spring is under compression when the lid is in the latched position and which is expanded when the latch is released, so as to lift the hood. The lifting spring has its lower end in embracing relationship to a cup member disposed about the keeper, which cup member in the latched position of the lid engages the upper face of the lower plate member in the region about the latching aperture.

In the drawings, the fixed lower part of the hood is indicated at 10, the lid at 11, the upper plate member at 12, the lower plate member at 13, the keeper at 14, the lifting spring at 15, the lifting spring cup at 16, the latching aperture or throat at 17, the latching lever at 18, the pivot mounting the latching lever on the lower plate member at 19, the pull cable at 20, and the pull knob inside the car at 21. The safety catch lever which limits the upward swing of the lid when the primary latch is released is indicated at 22, this lever being pivoted at 23 on a downturned lug 24 provided upon the lower plate member. A coil spring 25 acts on the safety catch lever to hold it normally in the position shown in Fig. 1, in which position this lever, which extends upwardly through a slot 26 in the upper plate member, overlies a solid portion of the plate member to limit the upward lift of thehood. The lower end portion of the safety catch lever is provided with a tab or extension 27 which can be moved forwardly by the service-station man so as to shift the safety catch to the inoperative position.

The keeper 14 is a member of post-like or bolt-like character attached at its upper end in the usual or any preferred manner to the upper plate member so a to be rigid with said plate member, the lower end portion of the member being movable downwardly into and upwardly out of the latching aperture of the lower plate member. This keeper member comprises what may be termed a main portion which is utilized, among other ways, in latching the upper plate member to the lower plate member and it further comprises an extension or elongation at its lower part which, as hereinafter described, serves as a centering and guiding member when and as the hood lid is moved to the closed position.

The main portion of the keeper member is indicated in the drawings at 28 and this portion 28 includes a stem or shank portion 28 and a conical portion 28 The shank 28 is rigidly attached to the upper plate member by suitable means including in this instance an upper nut 29 having threaded engagement with the shank portion. The head or latching portion 28 is integral with the shank portion at the lower end of the latter, the upper end of the head portion being round and of substantially greater diameter than the shank portion and presenting in conjunction with the shank portion an upper latching face which, in the latched position of the hood, i overlain by a lug l8 on the latching lever 18. The lower extension or elongation of the keeper is indicated in the drawings at 30 and this is illustrated as a round rod-like member or stem which, at its upper end, is in one piece with a tapering cone portion 28 and at its lower end is shaped to provide a conical downwardly tapered extremity or tip 31. This tip 31 may be provided with a screwdriver nick or groove 32 which is utilized in the process of securing the upper end of the keeper to the upper plate. in the form shown, the extension or elongation at the lower part of the keeper has a length approximating that of the main portion 23 of the keeper, but there may be variation in this as well as other respects.

The keeper-receiving aperture 17 is elongated longitudinally of the hood to permit the keeper to enter said aperture when the keeper is swung arcuately and downwardly with the lid, said aperture being of a width slightly in excess of the diameter of the keeper head or conical latching part and permitting some relative forward and rearward movement of the lid and hood body when the lid is in the operative position, said plate having two depending and continuous flanges, each extending along one side of said elongated aperture, the flanges approaching one another at the ends of said aperture and said flanges providing a skirt to prevent the keeper head from extending under said plate and becoming jammed therewith. The spring-pressed latching lever is shown as pivoted to the mounting plate adjacent one end of the aperture and as extending to the other end of said aperture, the lever having a part thereof in the form of a lug extending laterally of said lever and normally projecting through the adjacent flange between the ends of said aperture, said lug being supported by said adjacent flange and being adapted to overlie the keeper head for latching engagement with the same in any position of the head or latching part along the length of said aperture.

In the drawings, the flanges extending along the respective sides of the elongated keeper aperture are indicated at 33 and 33, each being integral with the lower plate and the flange 33' being the flange having the slot in which the latch lever lug 13 operates. These flanges are so constructed that they serve to center and guide the extension or elongation 30. In the form illustrated, this purpose is achieved by bending of the lower parts of the flanges on inclines toward each other, as shown in Figs. 2; and 5 and by providing on each flange a lower lip 35 which, in conjunction with the opposite lip, centers and guides the extension 30 when the lid i lowered.

As will be observed from Fig. 2, for example, the diameter of the extension 30 in this case is approximately the same as the diameter of the shank 28, and the conical latching part 28 at its lower boundary, is of the same diameter as the extension and integrally joined thereto, this being a preferred construction.

By bending toward each other the lower edges of the opposite flanges or skirt portions, the part of the keeperreceiving plate which cooperates with the extension 30 and the conical part 28' is given a cup-like formation in cross section, as appears from Fig. 2. In cross section the cupped opposing walls adapted to receive between them the extension 30 have'upper vertical portionsat opposite sides of a line extending lengthwise of the hood, said portions at their lower parts being curved or inclined downwardly toward each other and terminating in the depending lip formation 35. These lip portions are short, as shown in Fig. 2, and in plan, as shown in Fig. 5

presenting at the sides toward the guiding rod or extension a dished formation.

When the lid is in the open position and is then lowered for closing, that part of the keeper which first engages the socketed part of the lower plate is the frustoconical tip portion 31 which will be readily centered relatively to the socket in a direction transversely of the hood, the keeper being slightly moved toward one side or the other of the hood according to the existing conditions. This guiding and centering action .is brought about by the extension 36 and then continues in an obvious manner through the stages shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and this guidingaction continues until the cone portion 28* starts its centering and guiding action.

The guiding action of the keeper extension in a direction transversely of the hood, as herein described, is of great importance and value in providing for the accurate positioning of the front portion of the hood lid with reference to the lower fixed parts of the car adjacent which the edges of the lid are placed, and in avoiding damaging of the parts of the car and damage to the paint or finish.

Where there is serious misalignment of the forward part of the lid in a lateral direction, considerable damage is likely to ensue when the hood lid is slammed down or permitted to fall from a considerable height, but where the latch structure is of the kind above described, this serious drawback is successfully overcome. in my improved device, the damage as above mentioned is prevented or inhibited by reason of the fact that the guiding extension provided on the keeper extends downwardly to a substantial degree beyond the horizontal plane of the lower edge portion of the lid, as appears from Fig. 1, so that there is guidance for the lid at a stage preceding the contact of the lower edge of the lid with the fixed part of the hood. In other words, the guidance of the lid commences well before the instant when the lid reaches the limit of its downward movement. This is very advantageous and such an action cannot take place in latches of the old type in which there is no such do-wnward projection of the keeper beyond the lid structure and no precentering, as in the present case, before the conical latching enlargement of the keeper enters the keeper aperture to center it therein.

The diagrammatic showing in Fig. 6 illustrates an instance where the forward portion of the lid requires to be positioned within a space between relatively high fenders and this is one instance where misalignment of the forward end portion of the lid is likely to cause damage under the conditions above noted where the latch mechanism lacks guiding and centering provisions such as herein described.

it will be apparent also that in addition to the lateral positioning of the lid, as herein described, the present latch overcomes difficulties arising from the keeper becoming stuck or lodged in a manner to prevent the opening of the hood and prevents or inhibits to a large degree the 4 upward swinging of the hood lid when the vehicle is in motion.

With regard to the contour in plan of the lower edge portions 35 of the plate socket these may, if desired, be

curved on relatively shallow long arcs, as shown in Fig. 55-, so as to have a tendency to center the keeper longitudinally of the keeper aperture (and longitudinally of the hood), but, if desired, these edges may have a difierent shape in plan and may, for example, extend along straight lines running in a forward and rearward direction.

It is to be understood that the illustrated embodiment is by way of example only and that various modifications theprinciples of the invention or the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a latch for a hood of the alligator type having a lower fixed part and an upwardly liftable lid swingable on a horizontal axis extending transversely of the hood, a pair of mounting plates applied respectively to the fixed hood part and the lid, the plate applied to the fixed hood part being provided with means defining a keeper-receiving opening elongated longitudinally of the hood and including side flanges forming a socket therebetween with the lower portions of said flanges being turned inwardly toward each other to form a constricted opening in the bottom of the socket, a latch member carried by the lastmentioned plate and operatively associated with said socket, and an elongate depending keeper of rod form fixed to the plate applied to the lid, the mid-portion of the keeper being provided with an outstandin upwardly facing latching shoulder for cooperation with said latch member and adapted to be received within said socket, said keeper having a tapered distal end spaced below said mid-portion to cooperate with said socket and said inwardly turned flange portions to guide the keeper to and through the constricted opening therein, said distal tapered end being connected to said mid-portion of the keeper by a portion of less diameter than said latching shoulder and of substantially uniform diameter throughout the length thereof, said portion of less diameter being a lid-centering portion and being of a length greater than the distance between the upper surface of said plate applied to the fixed hood part and the lower inwardly turned portions of said flanges and extending a distance downwardly below said shoulder and beyond the lid into the fixed part of the hood so that said distal end enters said socket well in advance of the lid reaching closed position as the lid approaches the lower fixed part of said hood during closure thereof, said flanges forming said socket closely confining the mid-portion of the keeper including the shoulder laterally in the latched position of the lid, and the lower inturned portions of said flanges closely confining laterally said lid-centering portion of the keeper, said inturned portions cooperating with said lid-centering portion of the keeper throughout movement of the lid in the closing direction for a distance substantially equal to the length of the last-mentioned keeper portion, to center the lid laterally of the hood before the lid reaches the fully closed and latched position thereof.

2. in a latch for a hood of the alligator type having a lower fixed part and an upwardly liftable lid swingable on a horizontal axis extending transversely of the hood, a pair of mounting plates applied respectively to the fixed hood part and the lid, one of said plates being provided with means defining a keeper-receiving opening elongated longitudinally of the hood and including a flange structure forming a socket extending in a direction away from the other of said plates and elongated lengthwise of the hood, the flange structure having the side portions thereof turned inwardly toward each other to form a constricted opening in the bottom of the socket, a latch member carried by the first-mentioned plate and operatively associated with said socket, and an elongate keeper of rod form fixed to said other plate, the midportion of the keeper being provided with an outstanding latching shoulder facing toward said other plate for cooperation with said latch member and adapted to be received Within said socket, said keeper having a tapered distal end spaced outwardly of said mid-portion to cooperate with said socket and said inwardly turned side portions of the flange structure to guide the keeper to and through the constricted opening therein, said distal tapered end being connected to said mid-portion of the keeper by a portion of less diameter than said latching shoulder of substantially uniform diameter throughout the length thereof, said portion of less diameter being a lidcentering portion and being of a length greater than the distance between the surface of the first-mentioned plate nearest said other plate and the inwardly turned side portions of the flange structure, and extending a distance outwardly of said shoulder and beyond one of the hood parts into the other of the hood parts so that said distal end enters said socket well in advance of the lid reaching closed position as the lid approaches the lower fixed part of said hood during closure thereof, said flange structure forming said socket closely confining the mid-portion of the keeper including the shoulder laterally in the latched position of the lid, and the inturned side portions of the flange structure closely confining laterally said lid-centering portion of the keeper, said inturned side portions cooperating with said lid-centering portion of the keeper throughout movement of the lid in the closing direction for a distance substantially equal to the length of the last-mentioned keeper portion, to center the lid laterally of the hood before the lid reaches the fully closed and latched position thereof.

3. In a latch for a hood of the alligator type having a lower fixed part and an upwardly liftable lid swingable on a horizontal axis extending transversely of the hood, a pair of mounting plates applied respectively to the fixed hood part and the lid, one of the plates having a flange structure providing a first keeper-receiving socket portion and a second keeper-receiving socket portion, the first socket portion extending in a direction away from the other of said plates and being elongated lengthwise of the hood, the second socket portion being smaller and being disposed at the side of the first portion remote from said other plate, a latch member carried by the first-mentioned plate and operatively associated with said first socket portion, and an elongate keeper of rod form fixed to said other plate, the mid portion of the keeper being provided with an outstanding latching shoulder facing toward said other plate for cooperation with said latch member and adapted to be received within the first socket portion, said keeper having a tapered distal end spaced outwardly of said mid portion to cooperate with the second socket portion to guide the keeper, said distal tapered end being connected to said mid portion of the keeper by a portion of less diameter than said latching shoulder and of substantially uniform diameter throughout the length thereof, said portion of less diameter being a lid-centering portion and being of a length greater than the distance between the surface of the first-mentioned plate nearest said other plate and the outer extremity of the second socket portion, and extending a distance outwardly of said shoulder and beyond one of the hood parts into the other of the hood parts so that the distal end enters the second socket portion well in advance of the lid reaching closed position as the lid approaches the lower fixed part of the hood during closure thereof, the flange structure forming the first socket portion closely confining the mid portion of the keeper including the shoulder laterally in the latched position of the lid, and the flange structure forming the second socket portion closely confining laterally said lid-centering portion of the keeper, said second socket portion cooperating with said lid-centering portion of the keeper throughout movement of the lid in the closing direction for a distance substantially equal to the length of the last-mentioned keeper portion, to center the lid laterally of the hood before the lid reaches the fully closed and latched position thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 311,765 Kanmacher Feb. 3, 1885 1,690,655 Weymann Nov. 6, 1928 2,227,144 Krause Dec. 31, 1940 2,286,736 Hill et al. June 16, 1942 2,622,907 Hynes Dec. 23, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 300,411 Great Britain Nov. 15, 1928 

